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He who gives away shall have real gain. He who subdues himself shall be free; he shall cease to be a slave of passions. The righteous man casts off evil, and by rooting out lust, bitterness, and illusion do we reach Nirvana.
Buddha
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Selflessness leads to true freedom and contentment.

This quote by Buddha emphasizes that true gain comes from giving and self-restraint. It suggests that by overcoming one's inner passions and negative feelings, one can attain a state of peace and enlightenment, ultimately leading to Nirvana, which represents liberation from suffering and desire.

Themes

SelflessnessFreedomInner PeaceNirvanaBuddhism

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about community service, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of giving back.

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